Automatic signal service



May 6, 1930. I J. M. GREGORY 1,757,571

l AUTOMATIC SIGNAL SERVICE Filed" Feb. 6, 1929 zsheets-sheet 1 ATTORNEY May 6, 1930. 17M. GREGORY AUTOMATIG SIGNAL SERVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 6, 1929' l mvEN'roR maw BY ORNEY @www LUa/uwn @.A

Patented May 6, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT oFElcE JAMES M.` GREGoRY, 'or NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL sERvIoE Application led February 6, 1929. `Serial No. 337,743.

This invention relates to road signals and similar devices for displaying legends, signs and the like intermittently from each of its circular sides.

Devices of a similar nature are commonly used at railroad crossings, street intersections for directing traffic, and also for display purposes of various nature, depending for their operation upon an electric current,

Y spring actuated motors, etc. liable to failure These and other advantageous featuresv areV accomplished by the novel construction and 25 combination of parts as hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a material partvof this disclosure and in which Figure 1 is a `acoinplete signal apparatus embodying the invention. l v

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the same, partially broken away to show interior elements.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the operative mechanism.

Figure 4 is a front view of the same. .Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the driving segment and associated parts. The device is shown as mounted on anlupright tubular post` 10 rmly set `at its lower end in the ground and having at its upper end 45 r,a collar 11 engaged with a at sided cylindrical casing 11.

Set in the sides of the casing are discs 13 containing openingsr14 covered by transparent plates, as glass through which may 5o appear differently colored portions yof c1rfront elevational view of a cular plates 17 rigidly fixed at their axes on the opposite ends of an arbor 18 mounted to y rotate in the spaced side plates 419-19 of a rectangular frame disposed within the casing. y

The plates are firmly held in spaced relation near their corners by rods 20 and are providedjwith a plurality yof bearingsjfor spindles as will appear.

One of the spindles 21, in theupper por- 6oT tion ofthe plates, has fixedA upon it a drum 22, having at one end ya freely revoluble Y sprocket Wheel 23 carrying on its outer face an escapement ydog v24 engageable with a Y ratchet wheel 25 fixed to the spindle, as is also 65 a spur gear 26.

Attached `at one end'to the drumto be wound thereon, is a cord 27 passing about` a guide pulley 28, freely revoluble on a spindle 29 supported 4by the plates 17, then down 70" through an opening in the lower peripheral edge of the casing 12, into the tubular post 10 and thence around a pulley 30 journalled on aspindle Slfixed transversely lin the upper end of a weight 32 freely movable up and V75 down within the post. v

Thencethe cord is brought up to pass over a similar. guide pulley 28', down around anotherpulley 30', onthe weight carried spindle, up around another guide pulley 28 807 p and again to the weight at 30, this circuit kproviding a very considerable length of cord between the weight 32a-nd drum 22 which is obviously actuated by it through gravity.

.The cord Vis initially wound upon the drum Y by a handchain 33 trainedover the sprocket wheel 23guided by a pulley 34 and thence around a guide sprocket 35 in the post 10, the post being provided with a door 36 through whichthe chain is accessible for manipulation in winding the drum through the intermediary'of the dog 24 and ratchet 25. As the weight is lowered and the spindle 21 revolved, the spur gear 26 is turned with it, causing a pinion 37 in mesh with it to 95v` rotate on its'spindle 38, on which is secured a gear 39 meshing with a pinion 40 fixed on the'arbor 18. Y

Also fixed on the arbor 18 is a cam 41 having opposed lifting arms 42-42,one of 100 arms being alternately engageable with the body portion of a segment 43, pivoted in the casing at 44, so that the segment will be raised at intervals and droprapidly by gravity when the arms rotate past the body porv tion abutment 43.

A lever 4:5, pivoted at the center ofits length at 46, has a Weighted end 45" and a notch 47 near its front end vto engage the arm terminals when the segment 4h31 is raisech a. portion of the segment normally resting on the end of the lever, -causing it to: tilt,`

raising the Weight on releasing the arms, due to the action of the Weight ofthe segment; The peripheral edge of the segment 43 is provided with spur gear; teeth 43, the same engaging a. pinion 48,V fixed on the side of a ratchet ivlieelill, freely mounted on a stud 5.0. Alongside the Wheel/i9 is a spur gear 51 carrying a pivoted pawl 52 engagingA the teeth of the ratchet Wheel to impart, motion to the gear duringthe time of descent of the.- segment, but remaining quiescent as it is raised.

DrivenV bythe gear 51 isv a gear trains' consisting of a. pin-ion 53 fixed alongside a gear 54cm a stud l55 set in the Vframe plate 19, the

gear driving 'a pinion 5G fast upon a shaftV 5.7', this shaft carrying springV leaves 58j to which areattacl'ied Weights 59, consisting a common form` of centrifugalgovernor t0 limit vthe speed ofthe shaft. andlience the rapidity of' descent' of theseginent Within desirable bounds. v

The opposite ends of the spring `l'eaves 58 are attachedto a collare() freely slidable Y on the governor shaft V5'1" and carryA a disc 6l to malle frictional contact with a plate 62 carried by a stud 6 3Y adjustable in the oppositef-rame plate 19;

.In operation, the door 3b is opened,'tl1e chain 33 actuated byhand toraisethe Weight, andY thus energize the drum, the: powerv of Wlfiich is transmitted to the segmentv through the cam intermittentlyand,` as; the rotatable disc is secured on the cam spindle, a different showing ofthe-signals is attained alternately; It is also'tobe'notedlthat the entire mecha'- nisml is entirelyV enclosed in a; Weather' proof casing, sov as to beV unaffected by'vvind, Water, freezing or like occurrences, and Vthat the act-ion ofthe several parts is dependent upon gravity rather than springs or like uncertain and unreliable features.

The device can be adjusted for speed. by the element 63 and by making-the arms of thecams of unequal. length the showing of the signals may be varied in time period proportionally.,

From the foregoing it Willv b e seenV that, asimple device, for thisplirpose `has been.. disclosed in the preferred form of its embodiment,i but it is` noty desired to restrict, the details. to the exact construction shown,l it

being obvious that changes, not involving the exercise ofthe invention, may be made Without conflicting With the scope of the appended VLetters Patent, is

l. A signal apparatus comprising a, hollow post, a cylindrical casing mounted on said post at a transverse axis thereto, a frame fixed' in said' casing, plates having transparently covered openings set in the ends of' said casing-,iparti-colored discs revoluble in said frame adjacent said plates, mechani'sm carried'byjsaidV frame for intermittently imparting a semi-rotation` to said discs,

and a gravity impelled'device foractuatingl said mechanism.

2. A signalapparatus comprising a hollow posta, a 7cylindrical casing mounted on said post at` a transverse axis thereto a frame fixed in` said casing, plates having transparently covered openings set. in the ends` 'of saidfcasing, parti-colored discs revol'uble in said frame. adjacent said' plates, a gravity y actuated.- mechanism for intermittently producing semi-rotation of said discs,and means. I Y

for controlling the speed of operation ofsaid mechanism, all of said elements being con- Y tained Within the casing. Y

3.. Acsignal apparatus comprising ahollow post, a cylindrical casing-mounted'k on' said post at a transverse axis thereto, alframe.

fixed in Vsaid casing, plates having transparently covered openings set inthe ends of said casing, parti-colored discs revoluble in said frame adjacent said, plates, a gravity actuated mechanism for intermittently producin semi-rotation ofsaid discs,land means` todi erentiatetlie. time, period of alternate intermittent,semi-rotations.` f Y Y 4', A signalapparatus comprising a hollow post, a cylindrical casing mountedron, af

transverse axis on said post, said'.- cylinder having `closed ends provided with transparently covered openings, a frame fixedfinsaid,

casing, a` pair of: discs, having differently colored, portions revolubly mounted in 'said frame, a yWeight actuated gear train, a double; ended. cainv drivenv by the gear train',v a

toothed segment operated thereby, ak second gear train, driven by said segment, a governorV actuated by thelast named train, and means combined vvitl'i said cam to rotate saiddiscs intermittently.

5. In a signal. apparatus, having opposed-` perforate. Yfaces and4 parti-colored T 4discs revoluble adjacent, the faces, an arbor ony Whichrthe. discs are fixed, Weight ,actuated-` means for rotating said-arbor, atWo armed cam on said arbor, a toothed ysegment. pivoted, to be,v raised by eachY camv armk intermittently, a- Weight actuatedl lever; engageable lll() Withthecam armsj during the descent of said i segment, saidi lever being disengaged from which the discs are ixed, weight actuatedA said arm by contact with the segment when in its lowermost position, and means driven by the teeth of said segment to control ,the rate of operation of the segment.

6. In a signal apparatus having opposed perforate Jfaces and parti-colored discs revoluble adjacent the faces, an arbor on means for rotating said arbor, a two armed cam on said arbor, a gravity actuatedsegment pivote'd in operative relation to Vsaid cam to beraised and released thereby at intermittent intervals, a weight actuated lever having a notch to detain said cam from movement during the descent of said segment, and means to release said `cam from the lever notch when said segment has reached the extremity of its downward movement.

` In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

JAMES M. GREGORY. 

